The present invention relates to vehicle washing machines or machines for washing articles having opposite ends and sides, and more particularly, to such a washing machine which uses vibrating cloth curtains and rotating brushes to accomplish the washing.
Vehicle washing machines have been proposed for some time. Nearly every community and every major town has one or more of these vehicle washing machines in commercial operation. Those machines that were proposed, generally included various configurations of cloth, drapes or curtains and spinning brushes to clean automobiles, trucks and the like. Some did better than others. It has always been highly desirable to provide a new and improved vehicle wash apparatus.
A second generation of vehicle wash apparatus was proposed in which various additions to the wash apparatus were added and cooperatively combined therewith. These included wheel wash devices, underbody wash devices, drying apparatus, polishing and waxing apparatus and the like. A whole new plethora of vehicle wash apparatus evolved. It has always been highly desirable to provide a new vehicle wash apparatus to which all of these attachments could be combined cooperatively.
At this period of time and subsequently, a third generation of vehicle wash apparatus has been proposed. These have concentrated on the expense of such apparatus and the mechanical complexity of the apparatus in providing all of these features. In general, vehicle wash apparatus have become very complex with a variety of pivots, small motors, actuators, and timers cooperating in an atmosphere of moist air, water sprays and corrosive soap mixtures. It is therefore highly desirable to provide a new and improved vehicle wash apparatus having a minimum of parts, a minimum of pivot joints, a minimum of small motors and the like. It is also highly desirable to provide a new and improved vehicle wash apparatus which requires minimal maintenance and upkeep and will have an extended life. Finally, it is highly desirable to provide an improved vehicle wash machine which has all of the above features and is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and maintain.